Sarnia-Lambton's burgeoning bio-industrial cluster continues to impress on an international scale.
Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) recently hosted an eight-member Italian delegation, made up of representatives from small business, academia, and industry.
The three-day mission included tours of the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park and Lambton College.
They also held meetings with Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and companies like Renix Inc., Comet, Origin Materials, and Woodland Biofuels, and toured Parkland Farms and Sarnia's traditional petroleum refineries.
BIC Executive Director Sandy Marshall says the trip was set up by the Canadian Trade Commission office in Rome.
He says the delegation was left with a very positive impression of our area.
"I think there were some learnings they got from us that can help them there," says Marshall. "For us, I think more importantly they are starting to recognize that there's a place for BIC and some of us in Canada to have conversations with the larger Italian companies about them looking to work with us here in North America and potentially do some things here in Canada."
Marshall is optimistic about partnership opportunities, and possible location of Italian companies to our region.
BIC currently has signed Memorandum of Understanding agreements with Biobased Delta in the Netherlands, VITO in Belgium and Life Sciences Queensland, Australia.
A delegation from Scotland will be coming to the area later this summer.